Yeah I really wish they’d make it less ironic. I mean, to NEED google hardware is just a cosmic practical joke.

I’m not sure about Graphene specifically, but as long as there’s an established procedure documented, I’ve done like fifty installs of custom Recovery and various ROMs, such as Lineage, crDroid, Resurrection, Havoc, Cyanogen, AOSP, AOKP, ASPCA [:-)], WKRP [:-)], etc. and dozens of other less well-known ones, and I have not bricked one yet. So, as long as you don’t do anything blatantly foolish, should be ok.

I’ve said on a few occasions when this subject came up about them closing off the ability to install whatever you want - the only reason Android has been what it is until now is because they needed an “in” to compete against iOS and Windows. Gaining a foothold was the priority, but now that they’re huge they can do what they’ve always wanted, to follow Apple’s example of mandatory middle-man.

It’s sickening. What people need to do is only buy second-hand and use devices that can be ROM-ed. I have a couple dozen that I tinker with and test stuff on. I also buy older models, put custom ROMs and Recovery and then sell them at a small premium, but I digress.

There’s only one way to get what you want as a consumer: unite and don’t buy.

In the current age, antitrust laws don’t apply to major shareholders of the Corporation of America.

What’s odd is that for a very small portion of the users, this is incentive to actually logout! Less clutter? Yes please.

And let’s be realistic: if they’re not signed in - or if they even don’t have a Google account (because they live on the moon), then they’re just gonna follow the instructions and do what they’re told.

On Android I use Seal. Aside from an occasional hiccup it’s awesome and does a phenomenal job 99% of the time. If I ever can’t get one item to work and there’s no alternative, I use one of the ones on my Linux machine. I’ll post the name when I’m home and can check.

I also got that notification on several of my devices. But I have not seen any ads. Maybe because I use DNSNET.

I kinda like Lawnchair also.

First game I ever played that had that had an arena where you’re running around fighting enemies and the emcee bad guy was like the dude from The Running Man, and he would yell “TOTAL CARNAGE! IIIIIIIII LOVE IT!!!” damn what was that game called? SMASH TV!

Ah, see I am interested in a lot of variety but these days I don’t really have the time for extremely involved stuff. I enjoy games that you can spend small clips of time on, rather than having to devote a lot at once. I like cool visuals and gizmos - that’s why Torchlight appealed to me so much. Upgrading and advancing. I loved all the Angband clones I played over the years. I love lots of the BigFish style games like where there’s a cool story, hidden object puzzles, other types of puzzles, click / find stuff, and problem solving. Also I enjoy really good musical score. Ever play Drawn the Painted Tower and its sequels? Absolutely mesmerizing game of artistic beauty. I liked games like Sword of Fargoal, as well - also a sort of fancier Angband. Dungeon crawlers, adventure stories, cool gadget type equipment / magic spells etc.

I think it would be easier to specify the things I definitely won’t devote a single second to: sports, racing, RTS, hugely long-term upgrade stuff à la Sim City (though I used to love it). Roads of Rome is an exception. God I love that. And I also loved loved loved Magesty. Nothing where reflexes are needed. Again, used to be great in my youth but it’s not my thing anymore.

I loved the Krondor series by Raymond Feist. I enjoyed every Zork incarnation, especially Return to Zork, Zork: Nemesis, and Zork Grand Inquisitor. Might & Magic I loved, as well as Wizardry. Kings Quest series and of course Hero’s Quest. I liked the Diablo editions that were very like Torchlight.

Most of all is that I prefer it be on Android or Linux.

Wow did I just write ALLLL of that? Meh. Just sharing my game tastes.

P.S. oooh I LOVED the Samorost series. Amazing style, beautiful gameplay simulation and just plain fun and moderately challenging.

Wow I’ve never seen anyone actually argue their own hypocrisy with hypocrisy.

Motivations are irrelevant. Equality is equality, you can’t give rights to one demographic and deny to another because you think the other is ‘icky’. That is discrimination. Kinda the very thing we’re trying to argue against, and yet you used it as part of your reasoning.

Nice! Thanks.

Anything else out there these days worth putting time into?

I’d love to see Torchlight ported to Android.

No, I was joking.

Link please? (New game)

Well this is not a tech issue at all, it’s the fact that global economics have become a dumpster fire - particularly, in America. I can’t say I’m certain there are no other factors, but economically everything has gotten out of hand.

So you want to be a hero!!! I only ever played the first one but fell in love with it.

Erana’s Peace. hidengoseke. Meep’s Peep, my friend.

Well, retro etc. but I wouldn’t consider this to be that. There’s no inherent value of a run-of-the-mill drive with merely lower storage capacity. And certainly not worth a premium.

Verbatim in my experience have consistently been the best of everything they’ve made. Also usually the most expensive so they’re not really what most people will buy, unfortunately. Memorex has been a pretty good mid-range, I’d even put it just below Verbatim. But when people buy these shit TDK stuff… you’re not gonna be happy.

Anyway these days you can stick what… 2TB yet? on a microSD. I know that discs offer the not subject to magnetic damage but still… they fail after age far earlier than promised when they were sold.

Fault tolerance is the best for anyone who can afford it. Only way to make sure stuff lasts.

”although inevitably not until after they go whining to all the world’s governments about wanting a bailout”.

Ahem… Whining? Wanting? Try instructing. They own the governments so they will just tell them to do it, and it will be done.

I think ten years from now you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone even wasting their time on something so small.